Question about using spray foam insulation in our older homes

I was helping my buddy redo his 1950s house near UNM last fall, and we filled some wall cavities with spray foam. A few months later, he started having serious moisture problems in the exterior walls. The inspector said the foam trapped existing moisture and didn't let the old adobe brick breathe like it needed to. Now I tell people to think twice before using modern sealants on our historic materials. Has anyone else run into this with older Albuquerque builds?

2 comments

2 Comments

susan3509d ago

Watched a contractor spray foam a hundred year old wall in the North Valley last year. The owner hasn't called back with any problems. Sometimes these horror stories get passed around more than the success cases. Old adobe is tough, but it's not made of sugar. A little trapped moisture might just dry out a different way, maybe through the interior plaster. Not saying it's never an issue, but one bad job doesn't mean the whole method is wrong.

elizabeth1029d ago

Saw a friend's adobe wall rot from the inside out.